Main Street Grille and Brewing Co., a small brewpub in Garrettsville in Portage County, has a new brewer. Joe Kearns, 30, of Tallmadge took over at the end of August and has been busy putting his stamp on the beer. His first two beers -- an oatmeal stout and wheat -- likely will hit taps next Friday. (Sept. 23) "It's awesome," Kearns said about his experience so far. "I can pretty much do whatever I want. It's basically homebrewing that I get to share with the fine people of Garrettsville and the surrounding community." Kearns, who once worked as a paramedic and studied as a nurse, trained under Fred Karm, the owner and respected brewer at Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron. When asked about his brewing style, Kearns replied: "I learned professional brewing from Fred and you know Fred, he likes to brew big beers." Of course, with eight taps, Kearns knows he can't provide only big beers. Flagship beers such as Garrett's Gold, Main Street Joe and River Rat Ale will remain on the beer menu, he said. He plans to always have a stout and India pale ale available. And then he will experiment. "(Owners Pete and Peggy Kepich) have given me creative freedom," Kearns said. "For me, the sky's the limit." His main goal, he said, is to improve the quality of the beers and boost Main Street's reputation. One of his other goals, he added, is to bring back the Frozen Falls Beer Festival.